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Nine Queens Reviews

Terrific performances, snappy photography and a razor-sharp script combine to make this one of the most enjoyable films of the year. David Mamet, eat your heart out.

Full Review | Original Score: 5/5 | Mar 25, 2024

Nine Queens marks a milestone in Argentine cinema. [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Original Score: 10/10 | Mar 4, 2024

The cinema of scam is one of the hardest of genres to pull off and one of the most satisfying to watch when it works. This one does.

Full Review | Mar 2, 2018

numerous twists and turns, but remains fun

Full Review | Original Score: B | Jan 14, 2013

A delightful, charming, confidently made confidence flick.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4 | Aug 22, 2010

An Argentinian, Mamet-like confidence-game movie.

Full Review | Original Score: B | Jun 21, 2007

Bielinsky concocts a selection of tantalizing layers, from his Mamet-like dialogue to his chilly visuals.

Full Review | Jan 13, 2007

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Dec 6, 2005

Full Review | Original Score: 79/100 | May 13, 2005

Full Review | Original Score: C- | Aug 7, 2004

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Jan 27, 2004

[Even after] the plot's spiralling, shimmering sleights of hand and its never-ending ruses and deceptions . . . the ending will still pull the rug out from under [you].

Full Review | Dec 1, 2003

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4 | May 20, 2003

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Mar 10, 2003

...by the time the end rolls around and the final twist has been revealed, it doesn't seem entirely plausible.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | Jan 10, 2003

A slick and thoroughly enjoyable con-artist movie.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4 | Nov 6, 2002

If you dig on David Mamet's mind tricks...rent this movie and enjoy!

Full Review | Original Score: 8/10 | Oct 30, 2002

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Oct 30, 2002

A fascinating tale of deceit, deception, and things that may not be quite what they seem.

Full Review | Oct 21, 2002

[It's] a delicious crime drama on par with the slickest of Mamet.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Sep 29, 2002

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FILM REVIEW

FILM REVIEW; It's Devilishly Hard to Resist The Fools and Their Money

''Nine Queens'' was shown as part of last year's New Directors/New Films series. Following are excerpts from Stephen Holden's review, which appeared in The New York Times on March 31, 2001. The full text is available at nytimes.com/movies. The film -- in Spanish with English subtitles -- opens today in Manhattan.

Fabián Bielinski's trickster of a film, ''Nine Queens,'' is the kind of movie that seduces you into becoming putty in its manipulative card-sharking hands and making you enjoy being taken in by its shameless contrivance. When the secrets of its preposterous plot are finally revealed, you don't mind the absurdity. What matters is that the plot makes internal sense as an elaborate self-enclosed contraption.

This Argentine movie is the directorial debut of a filmmaker who appears to have steeped himself so thoroughly in Alfred Hitchcock and David Mamet that it's hard to imagine ''Nine Queens'' having been made without them leering metaphorically over his shoulder. The movie combines Hitchcock's winking tongue-in-cheek vision of a paranoid universe where everyone may be part of an elaborate conspiracy with Mr. Mamet's obsession with the finer points of gamesmanship and con artistry.

The plot is so similar to Mr. Mamet's ''House of Games'' that at times the movie plays like a homage. But where ''House of Games'' evoked a fun-house, eyes-wide-open vision of the world as seen through the mocking eyes of a thief, ''Nine Queens'' has no aspirations toward creating a surreal through-the-looking-glass universe. Maintaining the amused, extra-dry tone of a caper movie, it keeps a straight face when pulling the rug out from under you.

Nor does it share Mr. Mamet's vision of sexual curiosity as a treacherous, irresistible lure into a shadow world. When the games finally end in ''Nine Queens,'' there is no bitter payback. The film inadvertently reminds you that the revenge plot Mr. Mamet tacked on to ''House of Games'' was the one weak link in that otherwise masterly cat-and-mouse delicacy.

The story follows the adventures of Juan (Gastón Pauls) and Marcos (Ricardo Darin), two swindlers who team up after what appears to be an accidental meeting in a delicatessen. As Juan successfully pulls a bill-changing scheme and minutes later tries and fails to repeat the same trick in the same store with a different cashier, Marcos observes him with amusement, then steps in and pretends to drag Juan off to the police station. Once on the street, however, Marcos reveals himself to be a fellow swindler with a higher-stakes game in mind and invites the skeptical Juan to be his partner.

That scheme involves the sale and resale of some priceless rare stamps (the ''nine queens'') that certain collectors are pursuing as avidly as if they were the Maltese Falcon. The tricky negotiations end up involving the sexual complicity of Marcos's beautiful sister, Valeria (Leticia Brédice), who works in the swanky hotel where the prospective buyers are staying. But before the scheme is set in motion, Marcos puts on a show of his sophisticated con artistry to impress Juan.

The prospective buyers are a collection of deliciously slithery creatures who are busy working their own shady schemes. And as the deceptions and duplicity mount, ''Nine Queens'' momentarily convinces you that we live in a world ruled by artful theft. Mr. Darin's Marcos is every inch the swaggering Mephistophelean tutor in gleeful larceny, while Mr. Pauls's Juan blends equal measures of animal cunning and naïveté into his portrait of a gifted novice in these games. Or so it seems.

If the film has a message, it's that carrying off an appearance of naïveté may be the biggest bluff of all. It suggests that con artistry at the highest level isn't just a matter of cooking up an airtight scheme but also an exercise of ensemble Method acting to be carried off with a finesse that would make Stanislavsky blush with envy.

''Nine Queens'' is rated R (Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian) for sexual situations.

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Nine Queens

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Reviews in chronological order (Total 10 reviews)

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Nine Queens

David Mamet might kill for a script as good as the one that fuels "Nine Queens." A seductively structured and superbly acted suspenser that breathtakingly piles swindle upon scam without giving away the game until the very end, Fabien Bielinsky's debut feature has been the biggest smash in its native Argentina in at least a decade.

By Todd McCarthy

Todd McCarthy

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David Mamet might kill for a script as good as the one that fuels “Nine Queens.” A seductively structured and superbly acted suspenser that breathtakingly piles swindle upon scam without giving away the game until the very end, Fabien Bielinsky’s debut feature has been the biggest smash in its native Argentina in at least a decade. With a strong push from Sony Classics, there is no reason this utterly accessible genre-and-character piece shouldn’t become a must-see for the “Memento” and “Amores Perros” constituencies Stateside.

Longtime assistant director Bielinsky got the chance to make his film when he bested 350 competitors in a screenplay competition for which the top prize was production funding for the winning script. It is the scenario that gives this thoroughly assured work its greatest distinction, but in every respect Bielinsky reveals the instincts of a filmmaker keen to please through clever dramatic manipulation that respects, rather than insults, the audience’s intelligence.

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Story starts very small and gradually builds, over the course of the first act, to a sweaty-palms deception that subsequently looks like child’s play compared with what comes gyrating along thereafter. Appalled by the mistakes he notices a young fellow making during a two-bit convenience store hustle, experienced con man Marcos (Ricardo Darin) takes rookie Juan (Gaston Pauls) under his wing for a day to teach him a few tricks of the trade.

While very skillful, Marcos is also somewhat pathetic due to how low he aims; one imagines he’s been pulling the same little stunts for years, with only pocket change to show for it. But he’s also, in his own way, a snob and, in the course of a marvelous montage, he stresses his superiority to the lowlife muggers, killers and druggies that litter the city streets.

The more reserved Juan doesn’t seem like a natural-born criminal, even though he claims that his now-jailed father taught him the ropes from the earliest age. He tags along with his savvy new mentor only reluctantly, although eventually reveals a motive he has for making a big score.

Such an opportunity presents itself when Marcos stumbles into a chance to fence the Nine Queens, a famous sheet of nine defectively printed stamps from Weimar Germany. More specifically, what Marcos can peddle are expert forgeries of the set, and he finds his perfect sucker in Gandolfo (Ignasi Abadal), a wealthy businessman and stamp collector; because he’s to be extradited to Venezuela the next day, Gandolfo will have no time to submit the forgeries to expert analysis and will probably jump at the chance to take the Queens with him.

The sale, which takes place in a gleaming hotel where Marcos’ foxy, angry sister Valeria (Leticia Bredice) works, is tense but comes off even better than Marcos hoped for. It’s immediately thereafter, an hour into the film, when Bielinsky throws his first roundhouse curve, one that puts Marcos and Juan, as well as the film, into overdrive.

New circumstances push the desperate partners to extreme measures, particularly in regard to an outrageous request Marcos must make of Valeria, who hates her brother for having cheated her and their younger brother out of their inheritance. Argentina’s economic woes are ever drawn neatly into the drama before the final card is played.

Ingenious though they are, the plot mechanics wouldn’t be as effective were they not fleshed out by the outstanding characterizations, particularly that of Darin as Marcos. Seemingly smart enough to pull off any con he’d like, he comes off as a hair too seedy for the big time; he’s the schoolyard bad boy who’s still pulling the same little pranks 20 years later, and it’s beginning to look a little tired. Darin has just enough — but not too much — charisma to rivet the attention, plus the energy and quicksilver ability to improvise and turn on a dime when required.

Juan is a more callow and recessive role by nature, but Pauls quietly maintains interest in him until he begins making some surprise moves of his own later on. Properly making their characters impossible to read, Bredice and Abadal are memorable, while several smaller supporting roles are filled in classically showy and authoritative manner.

Rather than working in a fashionably flashy, show-offy mode, Bielinsky shoots in an efficient, practical style, getting full value out of the script and thesps without adding much on the visual side. Camerawork is proficient but nothing out of the ordinary, and more excitement could perhaps have been generated by a zingier music track.

• Production: A Sony Pictures Classics (in U.S.) release of a Patagonik Film Group production. (International sales: Patagonik Film Group, Buenos Aires.) Produced by Pablo Bossi. Directed, written by Fabian Bielinsky.
• Crew: Camera (color), Marcelo Camorino; editor, Sergio Zottola; music, Cesar Lerner; production designer, Marcelo Salvioli; costume designer, Monica Toschi; sound, Osvaldo Vacca; assistant director, Martin Hodara. Reviewed at Telluride Film Festival, Sept. 2, 2001. (Also in New Directors/New Films, N.Y., Toronto Film Festival-Contemporary World Cinema.) Running time: 114 MIN.
• With: Marcos - Ricardo Darin Juan - Gaston Pauls Valeria - Leticia Bredice Federico - Tomas Fonzi Vidal Gandolfo - Ignasi Abadal Washington - Alejandro Awada D'Agostino - Antonio Ugo Sandler - Oscar Nunez Mrs. Sandler - Celia Juarez Berta - Elsa Berenguer

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Nine Queens Review

12 Jul 2002

114 minutes

Nine Queens

Marking the debut of Argentinian writer-director Fabien Bielinsky, Nine Queens belongs to a rich tradition of films about con artists that includes Peter Bogdanovich's brilliant Paper Moon, Stephen Frears' The Grifters and pretty much every movie David Mamet has ever made.

Bielinsky apparently got his break after he won a screenplay competition - he was given funding for the movie, and the result is a brilliantly written film that cleverly manages to out-Mamet Mamet.

The film is set in present-day Buenos Aires, but it could be anywhere, as the action mostly takes place in hotels, restaurants, cafes and convenience stores. Bielinsky sets the tone of the film right from the opening scene, with Juan's small-time con-artist getting greedy by trying to pull the same 'change' trick on successive cashiers in the same store, and Marcos' older, wiser grifter stepping in to rescue him by posing as a policeman.

From then on, the script delights in piling on the twists so that the audience is never sure whom to trust and is immediately suspicious of each new character and their motives. Indeed, much of the pleasure of the film is derived from the fact that, time and time again, just as you think you've figured it out, something happens that forces you to completely re-think your theory. And, sure enough, the film keeps you guessing right up until the end.

Bielinsky cleverly ensures that neither angel-faced Juan nor the vaguely saturnine Marcos are entirely likeable characters (Marcos in particular isn't above pimping out his own sister in order to clinch a deal), though both Gaston Pauls and Ricardo Daren give immensely charismatic and assured performances.

There's also good support from Leticia Bredice as Marcos' embittered sister (who has her own reasons for getting involved with the latest scam), and Ignasi Abadal as a particularly sleazy stamp-collector.

Nine Queens (2000)

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REVIEW: Argentina Undercover; Bielinsky’s Clever “Nine Queens”

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REVIEW: Argentina Undercover; Bielinsky's Clever "Nine Queens"

by Brandon Judell

(indieWIRE/04.15.02) — Some thrillers fare well on a single viewing. Take “ Memento ,” a one-trick pony, a clever one but one that nevertheless quickly decomposes into agonizing monotony on a second visit. “ Nine Queens ,” a David Mamet -goes-South-of-the-Border-scam-game, however, becomes more tantalizing on a follow-up encounter.

On your initial viewing, you dedicate your time to unraveling the comically complex yet riveting plot, trying to deduce which scoundrel has the upper hand at any specific moment. On your revisit, you can relax a bit and just take in everyone’s motives and tics while still having your interest piqued.

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Thanks to director/writer Fabián Bielinsky ‘s immeasurable cleverness in his feature debut, plenty of motives and tics are supplied, along with an astute dissection of Argentinean society with a bayonet-sharp scalpel.

Buenos Aires is the chosen locale here, a rural Purgatory-gone-awry where banks are closing, the rich are skedaddling elsewhere with the middle-classes’ earnings, and everyone’s hands are in everyone else’s pockets. No wonder someone can say with a straight face, “There’s nothing better than a Paraguayan Rolex.”

“Nine Queens” commences with Juan ( Gastón Pauls ), an enterprising young man, pulling a bill-changing scam on a cashier in a convenience store. Successful, he tries to repeat his luck in the same shop a few minutes later when there’s a shift change. Caught red-handed, an undercover cop on the premises immediately arrests him and drags him away to the police station. Or so Juan thinks. Actually, that cop is none other than Marcos ( Ricardo Darín ), a big-time small-time crook. Marcos is one of those delicious bad-boy concoctions, not unlike Ripley, about whom you wouldn’t mind seeing a whole series of films. He’s the consummate lovable villain from whose voracious greed no one is safe: not elderly pensioners, dying friends, nor even his own trusting siblings.

Well, once Juan is spirited away from the failure of his last enterprise and before he can catch his breath, he’s talked into being Marcos’ accomplice for a day in a series of petty crimes Juan too wary to commit himself for longer than that. These two men are diametrical opposites morally. Juan prefers victimless crimes; Marcos is only concerned with the compensation he’ll receive for his dastardly deeds. If he comes out ahead with only a candy bar or 10 pesos, that’s one candy bar and 10 pesos more than he had yesterday. If a dozen people’s lives are ruined so he can have that crunchy nut candy, so what?

But suddenly, as if the gods were tired of observing Marcos and Juan’s wasting their efforts at mediocre heists, the duo is swept into the midst of a big time caper. Think a half million dollars or more. All they have to do is sell a sheet of forged stamps known as the Nine Queens to a billionaire businessman. The catch: they have to do it before the day is over.

To say more would be unfair. Just let’s allow everything goes right, then wrong, then right, and then you’re not too sure. Who’s on top? Marcos? Juan? The businessman? Or any of the other dozen eccentric characters who join the shenanigans? You won’t know until the very last minute — which is how it should be. Adding to the excitement is the assured visual sense of cinematographer Marcelo Camorino and the finesse of editor Sergio Zottola .

As for the cast, it’s a rollicking fine accumulation of character actors who let loose in spades. Pauls is capital as the insecure thief who might have just gotten in over his head when he shook hands with Marcos. There’s also a lackadaisical sexiness about him that makes you want to catch up on his previous work that’s not been released here. “What else can he do?” you’ll be asking yourself.

Then there’s Darín. This is his year. With the lead in the Oscar -nominated “ Son of the Bride ” and his award-winning role here ( Argentinean Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor), he proves his range is limitless. From rogue to romantic lead, from clown to depressed soul, from hearty, self-involved restaurateur to the King of Bastards, he plays his parts effortlessly.

Which brings us back to “Nine Queens” and the sociological insights it supplies. A saying of Virgil comes to mind: “From a single crime know the nation.” One wonders if you substitute “movie” for “crime” whether the adage still holds true.

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Film Review: 'Nine Queens' shows the realism of society in Argentina

Set in Buenos Aires, the Latin American film “”Nine Queens”” is an accurate depiction of how corrupt society is in modern-day Argentina. The plot centers on the escapades of two low-level con men as they become involved in a lucrative scheme to sell nine rare, expensive, but forged German stamps.

The story thickens when their supposedly perfect and simple plan begins to unravel to the point where everyone is a thief in some respect. Concerns about who to trust escalate above worries about whether the counterfeit stamps will be sold successfully.

Directed by Fabian Bielinsky, “”Nine Queens”” is quite deserving of the awards given to it by the Argentinean Film Critics Association. Most noticeable of the awards include best actor, best director, best editing, best supporting actress and best picture.

These awards are indeed very appropriate because the fast-moving pace and twisting plot cannot be understood and appreciated without the skillful direction of Bielinsky and intricate post-production editing, all of which contribute to heighten the intensity of particular conversations or chase scenes.

Other than skillful direction and continuous editing, the acting is also very realistic because each character’s performance enhances the powerful claim that the film makes of the morality of Argentinean citizens. Such directing, acting and precise editing is a clear representation of how fraud is so embedded in the fabric of Argentinean society.

This is not to say that the film is all drama and action and no comedy. There is a pleasant combination of clever wit mixed with some irony, romance and a few instances of traditional slapstick humor. The ending itself is so loaded with irony that after being drawn into the hectic ploy of the film’s main characters, audiences continue to think about and analyze the plot of the movie even when it is over.

Although “”Nine Queens”” is set in Buenos Aires and is mainly a reflection of Argentinean society, its message speaks across borders and it realistically shows the power and commonality of deception among people. It is a wonderfully scripted film that will keep audiences guessing until the very last scene.

Nine Queens

Starring Ricardo Darin, Gaston Pauls and Pochi Ducasse

In theaters April 12

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Search Reeling Reviews

Nine queens (nueve reinas).

"Who isn't a thief?" is the question asked in the story of two small-time swindlers, Juan (Gaston Pauls) and Marcos (Ricardo Darin), whose paths collide in a convenience store and quickly leads to a half-million dollar forgery scam on a big time gangster about to be deported in "Nine Queens."

Laura's Review: C

When Juan (Gaston Pauls) pulls off a bill changing scam with a convenience store cashier, he's emboldened to try it again right after a shift change and is challenged. Stranger Marcos (Ricardo Darin) comes to his rescue, introduces himself as a fellow, more experienced con artist, and asks Juan to become his partner. No sooner do the duo work their first job together than a phone call from Marcos' sister Valeria (Leticia Bredice) results in a potential half million score - the sale of a counterfeit stamp rarity, a Weimar sheet misprint known as the "Nine Queens."

Argentinian writer/director Fabian Bielinsky has attempted to fashion one of those quick-moving sleights of hand that keep the audience guessing, but his tale will be all too familiar for anyone who's seen George Roy Hill's 1973 film, "The Sting." Bielinsky's enjoyable but slight tale gives his audience a splendid introduction to the real streets of Buenos Aires, filmed clandestinely by Marcelo Camorino.

Juan is initially uncomfortable with the bolder tactics of his new partner, upset that their first target together was a trusting old woman. When Marcos appears on the verge of dumping his new apprentice, however, Juan rebounds by making a wager that will text his skills and passes with flying colors. Their relationship becomes more complicated after a phone call from Marcos' sister Valeria. She's lower level management in a hotel and she doesn't want Marcos and his embarrassing criminal behavior darkening its lobby, but she's forced to call him when another, older, con man falls in a lavatory and pleads for her brother. Sandler (Oscar Nunez), a counterfeiter, was about to make a huge deal with a wealthy businessman. Marcos ruthlessly steps in on his deal, bringing Juan along for a cut.

Of course, their plan is jeopardized at every turn by the plethora of thieves that seem to surround them. Juan's cut increases every time he helps Marcos clear another hurdle, but finally, Juan is called upon to put his life savings on the line. Having witnessed Marcos, whose sister has accused of cheating herself and the little brother Federico (Tomas Fonzi) out of their inheritance, try to swindle everyone, including himself, he must decide if it's a gamble worth taking.

"Nine Queens" characters are engaging and occasionally amusing, but director Bielinsky never rises above simply putting them through their paces. He doesn't achieve the liftoff the film needs to sparkle, instead letting a leaden monotony set in. The film is goosed up with the introduction of Sandler's wealthy sister-in-law, who lives in a garish apartment with a younger boy toy, but this lively and amusing character makes too hasty an exit. The multi-layered con's final moves become labored by an unconvincing promise between Valeria and Marcos involving their younger brother's faith in his unsavory sibling.

"Nine Queens" works as a look at a Buenos Aires the tourist rarely gets to experience, but its swindle isn't slick enough.

Robin's Review: B-

"Nine Queens" is a neatly handled who's-doing-whom story that holds strong ties to such grifter films as "The Sting" and David Mamet's "House of Games." But, this Argentine crime thriller is long on dialogue and short on action. Things begin slowly and steadily as Juan pulls a bill changing scam at a local convenience store. He gets greedy as he watches the shift change and decides to double dip and pull the same scam again, minutes later. He is caught at his ploy and, suddenly, a plainclothes cop is hustling him out of the store, arrested for his crime.

But, things are not what they seem and the "cop" turns out to be a fellow con man, Marcos, who propositions the young scam artist to team up and make some real money. Juan reluctantly agrees and Marcos introduces a plan to con a big time hood who is only hours away from being deported. Marcos knows a guy, an old time forger, Sandler (Oscar Nunez), who has in his possession a set of counterfeit stamps called the Nine Queens. The duplicates are so good that only close scrutiny would reveal them as fakes. This fact, and because the gangster, Vidal Gandolfo (Ignasi Abadal), is about to be shipped out of Argentina, cause Marcos to bring Juan in on the scam that could net them a cool half million dollars.

This is where "Nine Queens" gets a bit too full of itself, as the story becomes a swirl of characters brought in to twist the plot around. It is a question of who is scamming whom as Juan and Marcos run into a myriad cast of characters who have their hands in the con game. Marcos's sister Valeria is the beautiful assistant manager at the hotel housing Vidal. She has a bone to pick with her brother and threatens his arrest if he brings his thieving ways into her hotel. It turns out that Marcos stiffed his own sister and younger brother, Federico (Tomas Fonzi), from an inheritance. Valeria will help her wayward brother if he'll fess up his scheme to Federico. All sorts of other colorful characters are brought in to help with the con.

"Nine Queens" becomes a shell game that requires close attention to figure out who is screwing whom. This is the major problem with the story as, if you stop paying attention for a moment, you lose the thread of what's going on. Characters are brought in to the story to propel things along and statements about Argentine society - who isn't a thief in that country - are made repeatedly. By the end of the film, as things wrap up neatly, I was glad that everything gets explained.

First-time helmer/scribe Fabian Bielinsky does a fair job in creating a Mamet-like whirl of characters and cons as the swindlers, Juan and Marcos, ply their trade on their unsuspecting victims. As the plot thickens, the duo tests each other's ability in their scamming game. Juan is reluctant at first to team with the unknown Marcos, but the promise of a big killing for a day's work is too much to resist. The trouble is, you know that someone is conning someone and I got mired in trying to unravel the plot. A more astute script or director may have made this a less hectic tale. Instead, "Nine Queens" is a benign story of a sting operation that moves along at a good clip and ties it all up in its "surprise" ending - although I was little surprised at the conclusion.

Techs are first class with lensing by Marcelo Camorino a definite plus. The images are crisp and clear with enough camera movement to keep things visually interesting. The fast-paced editing, by Sergio Zottola, adds to the energy behind the camera.

There is imagination and intelligence buried in this swirling con man's tale. With a bit of seasoning, Fabian Bielinsky may someday be Argentina's answer to David Mamet, but not quite yet.

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NINE QUEENS

"a den of thieves".

What You Need To Know:

NINE QUEENS, from Argentina, is about two con men, Juan and Marcos, who stumble upon a scheme to sell a forged set of nine extremely valuable stamps to a shady Spanish businessman who’s being deported. The stamps bear the likeness of Queen Victoria and are known as The Nine Queens. Juan has lots of reasons not to trust Marcos, who has a bad reputation. When the tricky negotiations with the businessman end up at the hotel where the estranged sister of Marcos, Valeria, works, it becomes more difficult to figure out who is conning whom.

NINE QUEENS is a sly caper movie that’s also a character study. Marcos is an oily, suave swindler who often has to overcome Juan’s apparent moral qualms. In the first part of the movie, Marcos takes Juan under his wing, showing Juan how to do bigger cons. A series of amusing plot twists keeps the action moving and viewers guessing in this talky story. Despite the moral qualms that Juan expresses at times, NINE QUEENS doesn’t really rebuke the lying, cheating and stealing which go on in the story. Marcos, however, does get his well-deserved comeuppance in the final reel

(Pa, LLL, V, S, A, D, MM) Pagan worldview in story about confidence games; about 34 obscenities including a few “f” words and no profanities; mild violence includes robber holds gun on man, scuffle and man hurts head in melee at bank; man apparently forces sister to fornicate with older man, but no sex scenes shown; no nudity; alcohol use; smoking; and, cheating, lying and stealing not really rebuked.

More Detail:

NINE QUEENS, from Argentina, is a movie about two con men, Juan and Marcos, who stumble upon a scheme to sell a forged set of nine extremely valuable stamps to a shady Spanish businessman who’s being deported. The stamps bear the likeness of Queen Victoria and are known as The Nine Queens. Juan has lots of reasons not to trust Marcos, who has a bad reputation. When the tricky negotiations with the businessman end up at the hotel where the estranged sister of Marcos, Valeria, works, it becomes more difficult to figure out who is conning whom.

NINE QUEENS is a sly caper movie that’s also a character study of its two protagonists. Marcos is an oily, suave swindler who often has to overcome Juan’s apparent moral qualms. In the first part of the movie, Marcos takes Juan under his wing, showing Juan how to do bigger cons instead of the penny ante ones he catches Juan doing at a convenience store. A series of amusing plot twists keeps the action moving and viewers guessing in this talky story.

Despite the moral qualms that Juan expresses at times, NINE QUEENS doesn’t really rebuke the lying, cheating and stealing which go on in the story. The oily Marcos, however, does get his well-deserved comeuppance in the final reel.

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Nine Queens

By Peter Travers

Peter Travers

Nine Queens , from Argentina, is a heist flick from first-time writer-director Fabian Bielinsky that kicks the butt of such Hollywood scams as The Score . The setup is deceptively simple. Most cons are. Ricardo Darin gives a seductively low-key performance as Marcos, an experienced thief who enlists Juan (Gaston Pauls), a younger version of himself, to sell a rare sheet of stamps — the Nine Queens — to a buyer, Gandolfo (Ignasi Abadal), who has to get out of town fast. The better to sucker Gandolfo, since these Nine Queens are forgeries. There’s a hitch; there always is. Marcos needs the help of his gorgeous sister Valeria (Leticia Bredice is sex on high heels), who works at the swank hotel where Gandolfo is staying. Marcos wants Valeria to distract Gandolfo with her body; Valeria wants Marcos to drop dead, since he has scammed her before. David Mamet has worked this side of the swindle street for years, from House of Games to The Spanish Prisoner and Heist , but upstart Bielinsky is loaded with new tricks. Nine Queens leaves you feeling tense and terrific. It’s fun to be fooled.

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Nine Queens review

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Of late, the scam-cum-caper movie seems to have lost its head. Look at Hollywood's recent attempts to pull a fast one: David Mamet's join-the-dots Heist, for example, or Frank Oz bringing all the edge of the Muppets to The Score. Ever get the feeling you've been had?

But with less money and no stars, director Fabián Bielinsky runs rings around the Tinseltown twisters with this frisky little scoundrel of a movie. You know a film's moving fast when you don't even want to give away the first five minutes. Suffice to say that the cards are dealt in a buddy-movie style, as hard-bitten scamster Marcos (Ricardo Darín) takes the relatively green Juan (Gastón Pauls) under his cynical wing. The likeable rogues test each other's street savvy on small-time hits at first. Then, a proper job comes their way: forgeries of nine Weimar-era stamps, which a collector staying at a hotel managed by Marcos' sister (Leticia Brédice) is willing to pay through the nose for... Once the stamps are stolen, all bets are off as to who's swindling who.

No one trusts anyone here, and both script and cast - - Darín, especially - - are so nimble and focused that the clues fairly zip by. The busy camera keeps you on your toes, too, staying on the move as if to pull the wool over your eyes and convince you you're watching something flash. In fact, it's a modest movie - just one with smarts to spare.

What's more, Bielinsky prevents this early Mamet-style tricksiness from vanishing up its Byzantine butt by pointing the film's thematic attentions outwards, too. It's a portrait of a city in crisis, in which Marcos and Juan's misbehaviour on the streets of Buenos Aires acts as a microcosm of the (slyly depicted) monetary corruption that accompanied Argentina's recent economic collapse. Made before the financial shit hit the money-shredding fan and Argentina suffered economic meltdown, Nine Queens is astonishingly on the money. So it's propulsive enough to take you for a ride, then, but with a political undercut to give it ballast. And if that doesn't get you thinking, the devilishly cheeky ending should do the trick.

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Product Description

The story follows two small-time crooks named Marcos and Juan (Ricardo Darin and Gaston Pauls, respectively). They both end up trying to pull the same scheme at the same time at a convenience store. The more experienced Marcos likes what he sees from Juan and decides that they could work together on some small jobs. One day, they get a call from Marcos's sister, Valeria (Leticia Bredice), about aonce-in-a-lifetime opportunity involving a fake set of rare stamps called the Nine Queens. If they find a buyer, they will rake in six figures. However, this scheme isn't going to come together without a few hitches.

Nine Queens joins a line of sly thrillers about master-pupil con artists and games within games within games that includes The Sting , House of Games , and Heist . In the first five minutes, we watch an overt scam--a young Argentinian named Juan (Gastón Pauls) running the two-10s-for-a-5 hornswoggle on a convenience store clerk--then find that we have been tricked along with the bystanders as another brand of deception kicks in. And so it goes as Juan, with both trepidation and excitement, drifts into partnership for a day with an older, more cosmopolitan conman, Marcos (Ricardo Darín). Knocking around Buenos Aires--from gritty downtown to cozy neighborhood side streets to a swank hotel where wealth murmurs behind every door--these damnably resourceful scoundrels try not to miss a bet, including an epic swindle involving the titular "Nine Queens," a set of ultrarare stamps. Writer-director Fabián Bielinsky keeps a taut rein on everything, including his own cleverness. The end result is an entertainment as bracingly disciplined as it is ingenious. --Richard T. Jameson

Product details

• Aspect Ratio ‏ : ‎ 1.85:1
• Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
• MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ R (Restricted)
• Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.5 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches; 1.6 ounces
• Item model number ‏ : ‎ 2226639
• Director ‏ : ‎ Fabian Bielinsky
• Media Format ‏ : ‎ Multiple Formats, Anamorphic, Color, Dolby, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 54 minutes
• Release date ‏ : ‎ October 1, 2002
• Actors ‏ : ‎ Ricardo Darin, Gaston Pauls, Leticia Bredice
• Subtitles: ‏ : ‎ English, French
• Producers ‏ : ‎ Cecilia Bossi
• Language ‏ : ‎ Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.0), Unqualified
• Studio ‏ : ‎ Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00006G8G3
• Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
• #859 in Foreign Films (Movies & TV)
• #4,308 in Mystery & Thrillers (Movies & TV)

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Nine Queens

Original title: nueve reinas.

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Two con artists try to swindle a stamp collector by selling him a sheet of counterfeit rare stamps (the "nine queens").

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Movie Review

Nine queens.

US Release Date: 09-02-2001

Directed by: Fabian Bielinsky

Starring ▸ ▾

• Gaston Pauls ,  as
• Ricardo Darin ,  as
• Leticia Bredice ,  as
• Tomas Fonzi ,  as
• Pochi Ducasse as

Ricardo Darin and Gaston Pauls in Nine Queens .

Nine Queens is a heist caper from Argentina in the same style as The Score . It's about a couple of small time grifters who hatch a scheme to sell a counterfeit set of rare stamps known as the Nine Queens. The fun of the movie is watching them scramble to adjust as their well-laid plans begin to go awry. All roads lead to a twist ending as you might expect.

The two leads are good. Ricardo Darín as Marcos, the older, more experienced thief, is the central character. He exudes a gritty realism that suits the movies' atmosphere. Gastón Pauls is the younger - less assertive - thief with a conscious. He gives the more understated performance. The supporting cast of interesting characters they meet along the way are all done nicely as well, particularly Leticia Brédice as Valeria, Marcos' uptight sister.

In fact the entire package works. I recommend this Nine Queens even for those who don't normally watch subtitled movies. Most of the dialogue comes in short bursts and is witty and descriptive. It also provides a somewhat romanticized look at the criminal underside of Buenos Aires.

Although at times clichéd, for the most part, writer/director Fabián Bielinsky delivers royally with Nine Queens .

Photos © Copyright Patagonik Film Group (2001)

© 2000 - 2017 Three Movie Buffs. All Rights Reserved.

Movie Reviews

Tv/streaming, collections, great movies, chaz's journal, contributors, 'criminal' con game works -- once.

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It comes down to this: "Criminal" is an English-language remake of " Nine Queens ," an Argentinean film I saw in 2002 and remember well. "Criminal" follows the original fairly closely, and because I already knew the plot secrets, it couldn't work on me in its intended way. As the recycled characters, dialog and events turned up, there seemed to be an echo in the room.

The film may work for you. "Nine Queens" worked for me, and I gave it three stars. Much depends on whether you enjoy films that deliberately set out to mislead you. This one is a con about a con, and occupies the territory staked out so perfectly by such as David Mamet's " House of Games " and Ridley Scott's " Matchstick Men ." Odds are you'll have an inkling of what's going on under the surface, but the ending is likely to surprise you -- not in what it reveals, but in how it forces you to think again about parts you thought were on the level. 

John C. Reilly and Diego Luna co-star as Richard and Rodrigo, who meet in a casino when Richard, a veteran con-man, observes Rodrigo clumsily trying to trick waitresses into giving him his change twice. Richard steps in, tells casino security he's a cop, and leads Rodrigo away in handcuffs he conveniently carries in his pocket. Then he explains that he went to all his trouble because he needs a partner for a few days, and Rodrigo looks promising. They warm up slowly, conning waiters and little old ladies, and then a larger quarry swims into view. Richard's sister Valerie ( Maggie Gyllenhaal ), who works in a hotel, calls him to say an old forger pal of his ( Zitto Kazann ) is sick in the men's room and needs help. That leads to Richard and Rodrigo's involvement in the forger's scheme to sell a counterfeit bank note to a wealthy collector named Hannigan ( Peter Mullan ), who is staying in the hotel. 

The plot as it uncoils is indeed ingenious. Like many such plots, it depends on outrageous coincidence, lucky timing and the ability to think through the con and come out on the other side. I'm convinced there's a logical flaw in the story structure, having to do with why Richard thinks he needs Rodrigo before he finds out what makes Rodrigo of interest to him. And no, that's not giving anything away, as you will discover when you see the film. The actors do a good job of giving edge and momentum to the material: John C. Reilly is always in character (as his character, if you see what I mean), and Diego Luna, from " Y Tu Mama Tambien ," walks a fine line between being a novice con man and being a very quick study. It's all done well. The director is Gregory Jacobs , who has worked as an assistant director for Steven Soderbergh (the film's producer) and no doubt learned a thing or two about cons on " Ocean's Eleven " and "Out Of Sight." His decision to remake this recent film is defensible, since the plot of "Nine Queens" was what distinguished it and plots translate better than intangibles like, oh, say, artistry. 

Because I had an excellent idea of what was really happening and why, however, the film couldn't work on me in its intended way. Some con-game films have such great dialogue ("House of Games") or such intense acting ("Matchstick Men") that they work entirely apart from the con. But "Criminal" needs the element of puzzlement and surprise. Since you have probably not seen "Nine Queens" (which grossed less than $2 million at the North American box office), "Criminal" will be new to you, and I predict you'll like the remake about as much as I liked the original -- three stars' worth. If, however, you've seen "Nine Queens," you may agree that some journeys, however entertaining, need only be taken once.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

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Film credits.

Criminal (2004)

Rated R for language

Jonathan Tucker as Michael Gaddis

Maggie Gyllenhaal as Valerie Gaddis

Zitto Kazann as Ochoa

Peter Mullan as William Hannigan

John C. Reilly as Richard Gaddis

Diego Luna as Rodrigo

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• Fabian Bielinsky

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Jennifer Aniston producing 9 to 5 remake with Oscar-winning Juno writer

Diablo Cody will write the script for Aniston's reimagining of the Jane Fonda, Dolly Parton, and Lily Tomlin classic.

Jennifer Aniston has found a new way to make a living by producing a remake of the Jane Fonda , Dolly Parton , and Lily Tomlin movie classic 9 to 5 .

Entertainment Weekly has confirmed that the Morning Show and Friends star's Echo Films production company will partner with 20th Century Studios for the upcoming reimagining of the 1980 film, which followed a trio of working women who band together to get revenge on their sexist boss (played by Dabney Coleman ).

The InSneider was first to report the news, also revealing that Oscar-winning Juno screenwriter Diablo Cody is working on a draft of the 9 to 5 remake script.

David Livingston/WireImage); 20th Century Fox Film Corp./courtesy Everett Collection

Following its initial release in 1980, 9 to 5 became a commercial and critical hit, and its feminist themes cemented it as a pop culture staple for decades to come. The film grossed $104 million at the box office at the time, and spawned both a Rita Moreno -starring sitcom that ran for five seasons throughout the 1980s as well as a 2009 Broadway musical based on the story.

Aniston's Echo Films has produced several high-profile projects across the last decade, including her Adam Sandler sequel Murder Mystery 2, Dumplin', and 2014's Cake , perhaps Aniston's most critically lauded performance to date that led to Best Actress nominations at the Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild Awards, and Critics Choice Awards that year.

A release date and casting details for Aniston's 9 to 5 remake have yet to be announced.

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